I've been watching the History Channel a lot this week on their special highlighting all 47 Presidents we've had. It calls itself the "ultimate guide" to the Presidents, but it's mostly a great primer on all the Presidents.

Anyway, it's been a while since we've done this.

But who are the best 5 Presidents in American history in your opinion, and who were 5 of the worst? Do your best to explain.

I don't understand the love affair with Lincoln. He completely ignored the constitution. The man treated the executive branch as a dictatorship. He pushed the country into a civil war. He completely disregarded civil liberties. Lincoln's presidency was the closest this country has ever been to tyranny. Had he not been assassinated, we probably wouldn't be a free country today.

I don't understand the love affair with Lincoln. He completely ignored the constitution. The man treated the executive branch as a dictatorship. He pushed the country into a civil war. He completely disregarded civil liberties. Lincoln's presidency was the closest this country has ever been to tyranny. Had he not been assassinated, we probably wouldn't be a free country today.

I would say that I don't understand this view of Lincoln from you, but then, this is the exact same view of Lincoln that a southern, former slave-holder from 1866 held.

I don't understand the love affair with Lincoln. He completely ignored the constitution. The man treated the executive branch as a dictatorship. He pushed the country into a civil war. He completely disregarded civil liberties. Lincoln's presidency was the closest this country has ever been to tyranny. Had he not been assassinated, we probably wouldn't be a free country today.

Exactly.

Some of those things were awful and great at the same time. Certainly a key figure in the shaping of our country.

Some of those things were awful and great at the same time. Certainly a key figure in the shaping of our country.

Well, not a perfect presidency, but by a mile the most challenging one. Even more challenging than Washington. The reason he is ranked so highly is because it's easy to imagine many others that would have failed big time doing what he did. With the magnitude, severity, and importance of his decisions, of course mistakes would be made.

I'm not a fan of Reagan, but that's an interesting presidency in a similar way. I think people wrongly idolize his fiscal policies, but arguably there were few presidents who would have handled the diplomacy to end the cold war the way he did.